The Reach
The Reach is one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms on the continent of Westeros. It was formerly a sovereign nation ruled by the Kings of the Reach before the War of Conquest. It is the second-largest of the kingdoms behind the north and is considered the most fertile and heavily-populated part of Westeros. The Reach is considered the home of chivalry in Westeros. It is the place where knighthood is looked upon with the greatest reverence and esteemed the most. It is also the place where the rules to tournaments are the most stringent and managed. The Reach is ruled from the castle of Highgarden by House Tyrell. Noble bastards born in the Reach are given the surname Flowers. Geography The Reach lies in the most fertile part of Westeros. The Sunset Sea is found to the west, while the hills of the Westerlands are to the northwest and the Blackwater Rush of the Riverlands is to the north. The Reach borders the Crownlands to the northeast, while to the east and southeast are the Stormlands and their Dornish Marches. South of the Reach is the Red Mountains of Dorne and the Summer Sea. The Roseroad links Oldtown with King's Landing through Highgarden, while the Ocean Road links Highgarden with Lannisport. The Reach is watered by the immense river Mander and its tributaries, including the Blueburn and the Cockleswhent. The Reach proper is centred around the Mander. Oldtown is located at the mouth of the Honeywine. The region also includes several islands, including the Shield Islands near the mouth of the Mander and the Arbor south of the Whispering Sound and the Redwyne Straits. The Reach is the second wealthiest region in the Seven Kingdoms behind the Rock, but the most fertile and populous, with numerous well-populated towns and villages in addition to the ancient city of Oldtown. Among its produces are melons, fireplums, peaches, apples, and grapes. The Arbor is said to make the finest of wines, from dry fruity reds to a rich golden vintage. Woodharps made in Oldtown are highly sought after. History The beginnings of the Reach can be traced back to Garth Greenhand, the legendary High King of the First Men who lived in the Age of Heroes. The royal line of House Gardener of Highgarden claimed descent from Garth as do many current houses in the region. Its relationship with Dorne and the Stormlands have also been uneasy, with the Dornishmen warring against the Reach for thousands of years; rivalries include the feud between House Oakheart and House Dayne. The Kings of the Reach also warred with the Storm Kings of House Durrandon, and the Dornish Marches, the lands just north of the Red Mountains of Dorne, have long been disputed. The lords of Highgarden count Defender of the Marches amongst their titles, although most of the marcher lords now owe allegiance to House Baratheon of the Stormlands. The mighty host of Reachmen and Westerlanders were vanquished by Aegon the Dragon at the Field of Fire along with the last of House Gardener. As the conqueror marched to the gates of Highgarden, House Tyrell, the stewards of the Gardeners, surrendered to Aegon the Conqueror and were rewarded with both the castle and the position as overlords of the Reach. Since the Long Night, the Reach has profited from it's close ties to King Petyr I Baelish and, to a lesser degree, Lord Willas Tyrell's marriage to Cersei Lannister. Not one to allow their dreams of self-immolation be deterred by such things as peace and prosperity, however, the region tore itself apart during Brynden's Rebellion, with brother slaying brother and such chivalrous mainstays as right of ransom being flagrantly ignored. With Lord Tyrell having seemed to brought his more rebellious vassals back into line - for now, anyways - the realm looks toward Highgarden, waiting to see which way it's loyalties (and armies) fall in the upcoming succession crisis between the Lord of Harrenhal and the late son's disinherited brother, "the Black Prince." Wars and Battles King Petyr I Baelish (303-331 AC) When King Tommen Baratheon died in 303 AC, the child-king left behind no clear heir; as a result, a Great Council was called that same year. Having long acted as co-conspirators to the others' plots, House Tyrell cast their vote for Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish as king - upon his coronation, House Tyrell was the frequent receipent of royal favors as repayment for their loyalty. Soon thereafter, the thrice-widowed Queen-Dowager would wed Edric Baratheon (previously Edric Storm, having been legitimized upon Petyr I's ascension to monarch), and Willas Tyrell, heir to Highgarden, would take the former Queen-Mother, Cersei Lannister, to wife. The latter would take place in a great ceremony at Highgarden in 305 AC, with all the realm in attendance; far fewer would turn out to attend Lord Willas' funeral a decade later, and whispers that Cersei had seen to the man's death so that she could rule the Reach in her son's name soon ran rampant throughout the region. Brynden's Rebellion (381-384 AC) When the new High Septon declared King Edmund a traitor to the Faith for his decision to take a Greyjoy to wife, the realm began to resemble a powderkeg - and Lord Brynden Baelish of Harrenhal the match. Coming to an agreement with the Avatar of the Seven, Lord Brynden agreed to see the Faith Militant return from their exile in Pentos were he made King of the Seven Kingdoms, and in 382 AC he declared himself as such from the walls of Harrenhal with the aid of the High Septon. House Tyrell chose to remain loyal to King Edmund; House Hightower, their house having long been intertwined with the Faith due to the Starry Sept being located within Oldtown's walls, declared for the rebels, and several more followed. The list of rebels is as follows: *'House Chester of Greenshield', who declared for the rebels in part due to their disdain for the Ironborn, as their seat of the Shields had long served as the Reach's first line of defense against any would-be reavers. *'House Bulwer of Blackcrown', who declared for King Brynden out of a hope that he would appoint them as the new Lords-Paramount of the Reach following King Edmund's removal, due to House Bulwer's descent from a bastard son of the Greenhand. *'House Florent of Brightwater Keep', who declared for much the same reason as House Bulwer, yet had a far greater chance of being awarded such, for they could field an army in excess of a few hundred men unlike the Lords of Blackcrown. *'House Graceford of Holyhall, '''who declared for the High Septon's chosen monarch due to piety, despite themselves possessing only a scant retinue of household guards and a hundred levies to support. *'House Redwyne of the Arbor, who chose to declare for neither; instead, they remained upon their island, reinforcing Ryamsport with all available men-at-arms and waiting to see which way the winds blew. They would later claim that they had remained at home out of fear that the Ironborn would reave the coasts were they to sail away. The Siege of Highgarden (382 AC) The first armed conflict between the rebels and loyalists would occur when the host led by Lord Hightower besieged Highgarden in 382 AC; as one would expect of sieges, it was a dull affair, and little of note occurred. Many of the besiegers held vigils in eyesight of the Tyrell soldiers that watched on from the walls, publicly professing their faith to the Seven-Who-Are-One as a taunting gesture to the defenders within that they perceived as godless. The Reaving of the Reach (382 AC) Realizing now that House Baelish had twice entered a war to secure their rule of the Iron Islands, King Edmund sought to put his newfound subjects to use, permitting the Ironborn to reave the coasts of the Reach in an attempt to force the rebel forces to fight upon two fronts. The Battle of Greenshield The first battle would be between the forces of House Drumm and House Chester, in the waters near the Shields; with the remaining Shieldlords having chosen to remain loyal to King Edmund, House Chester's armada was woefully outnumbered and smashed in the ensuing battle. Among the slain was Lord Qarlton "the Holyshield" Chester, whose death by drowning soon thereafter became a rallying cry for those rebels that believed their gods were under attack. The Sacking of Oldtown The second engagement would be between the forces of House Greyjoy and the city watch of Oldtown (for the bulk of House Hightower's army had marched north); the city would fall in a day's time when it's defenders were unable to stretch the great chain that guarded their harbor across the Honeywine in time, permitting the Ironborn's fleet to land freely. Oldtown would be looted of all valuables, though no salt wives or thralls would be taken - a conscious decision by Lord Greyjoy that later paid off in dividends when terms of surrender were discussed two years later. Though their fleet remained only a day's journey away from Oldtown, House Redwyne did not intervene in the Ironborn's attack upon the ancient city; instead, they watched and waited as they had for a year already. The Death of the Hightowers Upon hearing of his city's fate, Lord Hightower reluctantly called off his siege of Highgarden and marched home to defend his demense; he would never see the white walls of Oldtown again, instead ambushed along the Roseroad by the same Ironborn that had put his lands to the torch a week prior. Lord Hightower, his heir, and his brother would perish in the battle; the remnants of his army would be dismantled the fores of House Tyrell a few days later. The End of Brynden's Rebellion in the Reach (383 AC) At the year's turn, the rebels would fight their last battle in the fields near Bitterbridge: aided now by the forces of House Caswell, Lord Tyrell would see an overwhelming victory in his favor. The last rebel to stand was one Ser Humfrey Graceford, who held to the bitter end inside of an abandoned farmhouse alongside ten of his household knights -- Lord Ormund Peake would give the order that the building's exits be barred and then set fire to, ending the rebellion there. Ser Humfrey's last stand is often memorialized today, and commonly recited by members of the Faith Militant abroad as an example of maintaining one's faith to the Seven-Who-Are-One despite all odds. Aftermath With Houses Chester and Hightower forced into exile, and both Florent and Graceford defeated, House Tyrell went about rewarding and punishing those as they saw fit: House Chester's seat of Greenshield was instead granted to Lord Grimm's brother, and Lord Grimm himself was risen to Lord of the Shields in place of House Chester; likewise, possession of Oldtown was granted to Lord Tyrell's relative, creating the cadet branch House Tyrell of Oldtown. Lord Florent was forced to surrender a hostage to Highgarden, and House Graceford was forced to swear eternal fealty to House Peake as punishment for Ser Humfrey Graceford's insolence - such an order stung deeply, for Lord Ormund Peake had been the very man that had ordered the knight's death by arson when he refused to surrender. Houses The Principal Bannermen of the Reach as vassals of House Tyrell are: * House Ashford, of Ashford * House Caswell, of Bitterbridge * House Crane, of Red Lake * House Florent, of Brightwater Keep * House Fossoway, of Cider Hall * House Grimm, of Greyshield * House Merryweather, of Longtable * House Oakheart, of Old Oak * House Peake, of Starpike * House Redwyne, of the Arbor * House Rowan, of Goldengrove * House Tarly, of Horn Hill * House Tyrell, of Oldtown * House Vyrwel, of Darkdell Exiled Houses Since the time of the Long Night, the following Reachmen houses have been exiled, exterminated, or otherwise indisposed: * '''House Hightower of Oldtown, who was deemed guilty for plunging the Reach into civil war during Brynden's Rebellion, was punished harshly for its treason: no longer would a Hightower sit in the eponymous structure, and instead a cadet branch of House Tyrell would rule over the ancient city. Currently in exile alongside the Faith Militant in Pentos. * House Chester of Greenshield, who was punished following their involvement against the Crown in Brynden's Rebellion. Fearing that the death of Lord Qarlton "the Holyshield" Chester would serve as a martyr and rallying cry for future rebellion, and wishing to reward his more loyal vassals, at Lord Tyrell's order House Chester was unlanded and House Grimm installed as Lords of Greenshield, as well as High Lords of the Shields, in their place. Currently in exile alongside the Faith Militant in Pentos. Category:The Reach Category:Westeros Category:House Tyrell